We recently caught up with Joseph Kibugu from the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre to ask them to share his experience from the 2017 ACCA GA. Here is what he had to say:

The 2017 ACCA GA was a unique opportunity to meet old acquaintances and meet new ones. It was exciting to hear the innovative approaches organisations from across the continent being used by CSOs to pursue corporate accountability, especially in the wake of increased business activities in the regions. It was a unique opportunity to update participants on the approaches that the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre continues to adopt to use to empower grassroot advocates and strengthen corporate accountability.

A significant highlight was meeting representatives of organisations working in East Africa and bringing our unique strengths to bear to shine the light of the human rights policies and practices of companies working on renewable energy projects. This led to a research by one of the NGOs working collaboratively with a local group and publishing their findings, including the response from the company and a rejoinder from the NGOs.

The ACCA GAs continue to be a vital space for advocates in Africa to exchange ideas – learn what is working and form strong alliances to put human rights at the heart of businesses on the continent